Metterniche and the French Revolution

In 17 94, metterniche was promoted to succeed his father as plenipotentiary in the austrian netherlands. But this is the moment the french pushed across the belgian border permanently and the Austrians ceased to exist. So there was no job for him to take up to go along with his career set back. The family then suffered personal disaster as further french expansion forcibly absorbed all the family estates in the rhineland. Without office property, or, frankly, even a home, the meternise clan decamped the safety of vienna. Metternich would not relinquish this post for forty years, with austria once again a ally of france.